AOA member to represent Meghalaya in HI polls

In a bizzare incident, the
electoral college of Hockey India has revealed that a member
of the Assam Olympic Association (AOA) will represent Hockey
Meghalaya in the much-awaited polls of the federation here
on Thursday.

New Delhi: In a bizzare incident, the
electoral college of Hockey India has revealed that a member
of the Assam Olympic Association (AOA) will represent Hockey
Meghalaya in the much-awaited polls of the federation here
on Thursday.

According to an FIR lodged by Meghalaya State Olympic
Association (MSOA) general secretary, D Syiemlieh in
Shillong`s Sardar Police Station, Hockey Meghalaya
representative in tomorrow`s elections, Raj Kakoti is the
treasurer of AOA while women member Sumita Sinha also hails
from Assam.

In his FIR Syimeliah claimed that in tomorrow`s HI polls
both Kakoti and Sinha are representating Hockey Meghalaya,
which is presently non-functioning, without the proper
authorisation of Hockey Meghalaya and MSOA.

"It has come to the notice of the MSOA that two
individuals one Shri Raj Kakoti (at present fucntioning as
Treasurer of of Assam Olympic Association) and Smti Sumita
Sinha both from Assam have claimed themselves to be members of
Hockey Meghalaya with the mala fide intention to be members of
the electoral college for the forthcoming election of Hockey
India," the FIR read.

"The act by the two named persons to represent the state
of Meghalaya without any authorisation by anybody from Hockey
Meghalaya or the umbrella organisation of MSOA or the Sports
and Youth Affairs Department tantamount to an act of fraud
with mala fide to mislead the Returning Officer of the said
election," it said.

"Therefore, I request you to kindly register this FIR
against the two persons as they have engaged in act of fraud
with the intention of cheating and misrepresenting the state
of Meghalaya when they are ac tually residing in Assam and are
not legitimate Members of any association of Meghalaya ," the
FIR added.

The copy of the said FIR has also been marked to the
Deputy Chief Minister of Meghalaya, commisioner and secretary
Meghalaya Sports and Youth Affairs Department among others.

The Under Secretary of the Sports and Youth Affairs
Department, Meghalaya government, R Nonglait today lodeged a
protest against the fraud with HI secretary general Narinder
Batra and Returning Officer for the polls Justice R C Chopra.
Incidentally, Kakoti, who is also the secretary of the
Assam Taekwondo Association, was the manager of the IndiaN
men`s hockey team which finished last in the four-nation
tournament in Hamburg last month.

He was also the manager of the Rajpal Singh-led side that
toured Belgium, France and the Netherlans for Test series
after the Hamburg tournament.

While defying the government`s age limitation guidelines
HI has filed 83-year-old Vidya Stokes for the post of
president, but a tough fight awaits her as she will be up
against former India captain Pargat Singh.

HI election has run into rough weather since its
inception.

Incidentally, the much-awaited polls were postponed four
times earlier for varied reasons, most recently on July 28
after the Delhi and Bombay High Courts stayed the election
process.

While the Delhi High Court stayed the polls following the
failure of the Central government to clarify its legal
position regarding HI and IHF, the Bombay High Court did the
same on a petition filed by the Maharashtra Hockey
Association.

HI, however, moved the Supreme Court against the orders
and managed to vacate the stay on July 30 and obtain a green
signal from the apex court to hold its elections.

However, the Sports Ministry on Monday gave new twist to
the drama surrounding the national game when it issued show
cause nitce to both HI and KPS Gill-led Indian Hockey
Federation.

While the ministry demanded explanation from HI before
tomorrow`s polls why it should not be derecognised in the wake
of its submission before the Delhi High Court that it is a
private body, the government gave IHF 14 days time to reply
how it proposes to meet it`s as well as the International
Hockey Federations`s (FIH) guidelines.